WINDHOEK, June 17 — Namibian police have arrested two suspects in connection with the poaching of 11 rhinos in the country’s flagship Etosha National park, Environment Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said.
The suspects were arrested Wednesday evening, and investigations are at an advanced stage, Muyunda said Thursday.
Commenting on the poaching incident in a previous interview, environment minister Pohamba Shifeta said the recent discoveries of 11 rhino carcasses are an indication that Namibia needs to intensify security operations.
“We need to reorganize our combined forces and change our operation strategies as a matter of urgency,” he said.
“Namibia recognized the need to act and has not been idle. Thanks to a concerted effort of the government, Namibia’s conservation entities, law enforcement agencies and the judiciary, we have made significant strides to prevent, investigate, and prosecute wildlife crimes. This success would not have been possible without the support of communities, conservancies, and rhino custodians who make daily choices to support and extend the anti-poaching activities on their lands,” Shifeta said.
Namibia has revised legislation to strengthen wildlife protection and increased maximum penalties for wildlife crimes to ensure that perpetrators are convicted and appropriately punished, deterring further crime, he said. (Xinhua)
